Emirate of Saruhanna
The Emirate of Saruhanna is a Qadir state found in the south of Faradh. It has been almost anarchic since its founding, but is de jure ruled over by Emir Abdullah al-Bakr. Set up after the Cataclysm as Farah'd was separated from Farah’deen, its people set out upon the seas, finding riches as they went. The state has a strong economy and is thriving, despite its unconventional industry. Although a recent census suggested that the population was around 30,000, a great deal of citizens live offshore, and were not counted. However, recent tensions with Regalia have boiled over, and the Emirate is descending into war. History Before Cataclysm The history of Farra and the Qadir people before the Cataclysm is long. The region where the Emirate of Saruhanna is now found was once an area inhabited by solely Mansuriya Qadir. After the extinction of the Red Desert Dragons and the appearance of the Songaskia Qadir, this area of Farra retained a high level of the nomadic Mansuriya, and only a small number of Songaskia settlements were set up. However, as the Mansuriya became hostile, this grew to be a problem. The area was constantly submersed in hostility, fighting and casualties. A concerted effort in around 97 B.C. finally forced the majority of the nomadic Mansuriya out of the region, and concurrently increased the Songaskia population. After Cataclysm The Cataclysm had a distinct effect on the region, as Faradh became a separate continent, removing it from the Qadir population centre in Qadiriyye. This led to a descent into anarchy within Faradh, and years of in-fighting ensued. Eventually, in 87 A.C., a settlement was found, and the Emirate of Saruhanna became its own state, led by Emir Abdullah al-Bakr. He was a relatively lax ruler, who placed a lot of stress on honour and respect, but cared little for complex legislature. As such, a state of anarchy was largely no different, but with a clear ruler, in-fighting was lessened greatly, and the people began to work for a better future. Middle Period Emir Abdullah passed the crown onto his son, Prince Ni’ud al-Bakr, a man with a lax grip on his country allowed it to descend further into its state of oddly prosperous anarchy. This was thanks to the widespread involvement in piracy. Though these men’s actions could not be said to be in accord with the country’s code of honour, yet the code applied only between the citizens of Saruhanna. As such, the age of piracy began: looting merchant ships, particularly from the human states in New Ceardia; performing the Qadiriyye’s dirty work; or performing petty raids in the Hadravian State. Emir Ni’ud not only tolerated this but supported it, and its intelligent choice of targets meant that it remained relatively free from retaliation. After Ni’ud, his brother Mizi al-Bakr took the throne. The new Emir was not so lax in his grip, and challenged the anarchy that had stood for so long. Yet his interference was not a good one, rather it was full of corruption, which soured the thriving economy of Saruhanna. With privacy at its peak, other trades had begun to flourish, benefitting from the influx of raw materials and wealth obtained from foreign states. But Mizi, wishing to cultivate his own wealth, imposed taxes on much of the pirates’ loot. This led to the sudden explosion of black market trade, smuggling and various other illegal activities. When breaking the law became commonplace, problems began to sprout in other areas, such as theft and violence. All of this was only helped by further decrees by Emir Mizi, and eventually, after two decades too long upon the throne, he was assassinated at the order of a number of frustrated pirates.. While his natural successor was his nephew, Emir Fouad Adnan, the boy was too young, and so the country was effectively led by this young boy’s mother, Umaymah Adnan. Fouad was given the Sword of Saruhanna in 177 A.C., yet it was his mother who wielded his power. She worked to regain control and peace, meanwhile borrowing a great deal from the Qadiriyye’s culture. Although the Emirate was no longer so rich and prosperous, order was beginning to be restored. Piracy was just as common as ever, and the booty was starting to flow through the standard ports once more. Although crime was more problematic than it had been before Mizi, improvements were to be seen readily. However, with the Sultanate’s culture for law enforcement came their root belief of male superiority. Believing her to be treasonous in manipulating the Emir, a group of young, Sultanate-born advisers are suspected to have organised the assassination of Umaymah. The young Emir was past his teenage years by this time, yet he began to threaten his advisers, and they did not take too kindly to being threatened. Despite public favour for Fouad, he was assassinated by his advisers less than a week later, and suspicion ran high. Yet few were willing to challenge the murderous ringleader, Majd Khaleel, who assumed the throne to become Emir Majd Khaleel. He established a formal Council of Saruhanna in order to prevent another mutiny by his advisers, and despite his treacherous path to the throne, his reign was successful. He remained Saruhanna’s sovereign ruler until his death in 209 A.C., when the Council elected a new leader. This was part of the new system, and Saruhanna was to return to a true Emirate, whereby the leader is elected, albeit from the ranks of the council. A proactive young councilman managed to grasp the throne, beginning the long reign of Emir Qutb Rabah. While he allowed slack in the military, he encouraged a strong shift towards a more conventional economy. His objections to piracy were minimal, but he saw the importance of internally generated wealth, and the perilous nature of relying on piracy. Encouraging foreign craftsmen to enter the country for work, he caused some division within the country over immigration, although it was very hard to dispute the strong economic improvement with huge improvements in mining and other harvesting of raw materials. Lax religious faith on the part of Qutb caused some tension with the great Qadir Pashah in Farah’deen, and so when he died, the Pashah had groomed its own future Emir of Saruhanna. Although he wasn’t a member of the Emirate’s council, the Sultanate applied considerable pressure and this new ruler, Ya’nud al-Mee, won the vote easily thanks to the Sultanate’s leverage. Despite his rather forceful assumption of the throne, Ya’nud was well received. He was young, creative, and a wise choice from Qadiriyye. Many of the Saruhannan people weren’t at all engaged with the country’s politics, so the change in the political climate was not immediately felt. Treading the line between pleasing the Pashah of Qadiriyye, and not causing disillusion amongst his people, religious rules were tightened, but enforcement remained low. Although the country returned to its theocratic roots, the anarchic state continued. Current State Emir Ya’nud has reached a ripe old age, and the Emirate has been steadily taken over by his council while he is bed-stricken. The Emirate was stable, prosperous and relatively peaceful until 303 A.C., when it was pulled into the war between Regalia and the Qadiriyye. Although the armies of Saruhanna were largely successful in fending off Regalian forces, and even managed to capture the Imperial Prince, Cedric Kade, they faced destabilisation and insecurity for the first time in a while. Now, although temporarily weakened, the Emirate of Saruhanna has proved itself to be strong and a force to be reckoned with. That said, its future is uncertain. Etymology Saruhanna is an archaic Faraddi word with an uncertain meaning and was once used to describe the vague region of Farra where Saruhanna can now be found. The name was adopted in reference to the ancient region when it was founded. Meanings are uncertain, but scholars suggest that it may be etymologically related to the modern word Sarayah, which means barren. The name of the capital, Saiqat, is a more recent Qadiriq term. It roughly translates to ‘legislature,’ indicating that Saiqat is the centre of Saruhannan government. Geography Geographically, the Emirate of Saruhanna is found to the southern end of the minor continent Faradh. It is bordered by the Osmaniliyye Caliphate to the north, with Farah’deen to the south, separated by a large channel of water. The capital, Saiqat, is found on the south coast of Saruhanna, closest to the Qadiriyye of Farah’deen. The land is barren with mountainous regions to the north, which gradually level to become the flat deserts of the south. The island’s geographical features are interesting, and quite unique. A number of clay canyons can be found in the centre of the Emirate, just south of the expansive mountain chains in the north. Due to the challenging terrains, both areas have smaller populations than the flat south. The only fresh water sources in Saruhanna are also found in the south, another of the factors causing the denser populace in the south. The region’s plant and animal life is highly limited. It is mostly restricted to dead bushes, reptilian creatures and sporadic cacti. This is primarily due to the inhospitable climate. Climate The region is particularly hot and arid. These temperatures are coupled with infrequent rainfall to create an arid and inhospitable climate. It is believed that the weather conditions were exaggerated by the Cataclysm. Notable landmarks *'Shorluk Lashamas' :An eastern peninsula, this is typically cited as the easternmost point in Saruhanna, and is a spiritual place where prayer takes place. The name means ‘sunrise,’ which is the location’s religious significance: it is there that priests watch the sun rise. *'Natar’mayha' :A river delta that flows into the channel between Faradh and Farad’heen, Natar’mayha is not only a place of natural beauty, but also one that has a great deal of biodiversity, relative to the rest of the Emirate. The banks of silt, tar pits and mud plains play host to all kinds of insects and amphibia, as unpleasant as they may be. *'Yuj Halil Sadir' :This expansive manor is, contrary to its appearance, the home of piracy in Saruhanna. It is a rather recent building, found overlooking a famous cove on the southern coast. Although the exact nature of what happens inside the ‘Yuj,’ as it is colloquially known, is not certain, it is believed to be the home of Saruhanna’s most infamous pirate, although even that is uncertain. The whole industry is surrounded in a shroud of secrecy. Government Since its founding, the Emirate of Saruhanna has always been ruled by a single Emir. The Emir is supposedly chosen by the Sun God, and so the Emirate is a theocracy. At first, he was accompanied by advisers, but under the rule of Emir Majd Khaleel, a formal council was established. Although the Emir still holds ultimate executive power, the council can order decrees, but these can be freely vetoed by the Emir. The real power of the Council is their political weight, and if they do not get their wish, it is perfectly common for them to raise prices within owned business, or encourage rebellion in the army’s ranks. List of Rulers *Emir Abdullah al-Bakr 87 - 112 A.C. *Emir Ni’ud al-Bakr 113 - 155 A.C. *Emir Mizi al-Bakr 156 - 176 A.C. *Emir Fouad Adnan 177 - 185 A.C. *Emir Majd Khaleel 186 - 209 A.C. (Introduction of the Council of Saruhanna) *Emir Qutb Rabah 210 - 256 A.C. *Ya’nud al-Mee 257 A.C. - present Foreign Relations After a brief war with Regalia, with a considerable amount of bloodshed, a truce has been made. That said, relations are still frosty to say the least. The Qadiriyye is an important trading partner for Saruhanna, and was an ally in the war they fought against Regalia. Location, religion, race and culture are important unifying points for these two kingdoms, though the Qadiriyye is a great deal larger than Saruhanna. Another important neighbor is Osmaniliyye. Once again, relations are positive with this Qadir state, although the Caliphate to the north has little to offer. As a result, ties are largely superficial, though the Emirate has been known to complete acts of compassion for its suffering neighbor. Military After the crippling blows of the war, the military is a lot weaker than it once was. It has since begun drafting a new batch of recruits. They aim to hold numbers at roughly a tenth of the population, nearly three thousand, although this is a very rough estimation. At present, their numbers are close to half of that. Beyond this, there are also large ranks of offshore pirates, or privateers in such cases, who contribute their services to the war effort, at a cost. This strengthens the already strong navy, one of Saruhanna’s strongest forces. Due to a lack of immediate land conflicts, the infantry is not very experienced, though when guided by intelligent tacticians and strong leaders, they fare quite well. Economy and Technology The economy of Saruhannan is a complex one. The biggest trade is piracy and privateering, meaning that the inflow of raw materials is hugely varied depending on the week’s haul. This is often either sold back to its owners, sold on to the Qadiriyye and Osmaniliyye, or traded within Saruhanna. Barter is the primary form of trade, with some upper class Songaskia opting for the use of gold tablets in purchasing more expensive goods. Common exports are very varied, but a lot of weapons, nautical goods and various other stolen goods are sold to the Sultanate. Once more, imports as varied as exports. Goods are often in high demand, as there is not a great basis for harvesting raw materials. As such, imports range from sugar to limestone, and everything in between. There is a steady inflow of workers from Osmaniliyye, mostly immigrants looking for more labour and escaping their disaster-ridden home. Demographics *Songaskia Qadir 82% category:Qadir Demographics *Mansuriya Qadir 16% *Other 2% Culture The official language of Saruhanna is Qadiriq, although some of the more isolated villages have developed dialects, notably the Kal’iyez dialect of Qadiriq, which is spoken by a chain of isolated northern villages. The law is quite loose, which has led to a state of quasi-anarchy, which operates awkwardly alongside the supposed religious vigour with which the Emir is supposed to rule. Although the laws exist, they are hardly enforced. The state religion is Shammar-al-Shambala, or just Shambala, which is very prevalent within the Emirate’s legislature. Although the pirates certainly believe in Sun worship, they do not practice it as actively as many other Qadir peoples, to the consternation of the Emir. Religious festivals are not celebrated with much ostentatiousness, although they are acknowledged, often with a family meal and a day of worship. The state’s culture is defined by the piracy that goes on there, which causes the lax legislation. It also leads to a distorted class system. Merchants are largely at the mercy of pirates, and it is the pirates who hold the most wealth, ahead of priests even. Because of the stress placed on combat, class is determined more by one’s swordsmanship than one’s father. On the whole, people aren’t too wealthy, but neither are they struggling a great deal. Their lives take effort, but they live in reasonable comfort. Clothing is practical for the majority of people, even the nobility. Often being made of woven cloth, the clothing is light but covers the whole body to protect from sand storms. Food is simple, with dates and sugar being two favourites. An unleavened flat bread, Pita, is the country’s dietary staple, forming the basis of most meals. Rice is frequently consumed, often well-seasoned with spices and herbs. Architecture is primarily sandstone with marble decoration. A flat roof is the signature of a Saruhannan home, and people will often sit on the roof in the evening for their meals, or just for extra living space. Trivia *One of the natural defenses of the Caliphate is its heat. During the Regalian conflict, many soldiers in their heavy plate armor suffered from attrition in the conditions, in adversity to the Qadir in lighter leathers and cloths. *Some of the lowest class of workers, as well as stray Mansuriya, tend to delve into the saturated mud plains of Natar’mayha in search of various herbal remedies, exotic creatures and, in the case of some desperate people, gold. *Qadiriyye ambassadors often do business in the Emirate, hiring privateers and pirates alike to attack Regalia’s ships and loot the supplies. *As a matter of fact, most Saruhannan pirates don’t like rum. Category:Geography Category:Nations and States Category:Extended Farah’deen Landmass